PhD Project Studentship
Freeze Drying (Lyophilisation)
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Imperial College London
Freeze drying, also known as lyophilisation, represents the final stage in the manufacturing process for many biopharmaceuticals. Despite its wide use, however, there is a dearth of research and expertise in the UK on freeze drying. It is also commonly accepted that the conditions employed to freeze dry commercial products are rarely optimised, often leading to poor product control and batch variability. The lack of attention to detail for this crucial stage often stems from a failure to appreciate the importance of the combined effects of critical product and process parameters on product quality and economic, energy-efficient processing. The opportunity here is to undertake a multi-variable, multi-product study in the field of lyophilisation, to help bridge the knowledge gap that currently persists. In this study, the effects of various aspects of formulation and the freeze-drying process on biopharmaceutical materials in terms of their structure, function, activity, and other aspects of product quality, including the level of residual water and its distribution within the freeze-dried material, will be investigated. It is expected that this project will inform on the rational and optimised design of industrial biopharmaceuticals that use freeze drying as part of the manufacturing process.
The stipend is of the order of £15,000/pa for 4 years. In addition, home fees will be covered (i.e. the fees applicable for most UK and EU students). An enhancement in bursary (£2-3k) may be available for exceptional candidates. To be eligible for support, applicants must be ‘UK students’ as defined by the BBSRC; this includes EU citizens who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years for any purpose, including undergraduate studies. Candidates should ideally have a first or upper second class degree (or equivalent) in chemical engineering, chemistry or a related subject.
This project is funded by a BBSRC Industrial Case studentship with Biopharma Technology Ltd (BTL), a leading freeze-drying R&D and consultancy company with laboratories in Winchester, UK. BTL has worked on over 500 freeze-dried products for more than 130 clients worldwide. Enquiries and applications (c.v. and contact details of 2 referees) should be sent to: Dr J. Heng or Dr D. Williams, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ, UK. Email jerry.heng@imperial.ac.uk or d.r.williams@imperial.ac.uk.
Closing Date: 10th April 2009
Valuing diversity and committed to equality of opportunity
Imperial College London
Website:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/su…
Location:
London
Expires:
May 16, 2009
